Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of PMC Wagner, a Russian oligarch
Yevgeny Prigozhin/ social networks
Yevgeny Prigozhin is the owner of the private military campaign “Wagner”, which is participating in the war against Ukraine. Russian businessman, oligarch and restaurateur who is called “Putin’s chef” because of his large food business.
He said, “There are no mercenaries in Russia, but there are heroes.”
He stated that Ukraine was “ruining itself and endangering its own people” by resisting the so-called “special operation” and accepting weapons from NATO.
*The material was created in cooperation with the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Main statements
1. Recruited convicts in Russian prisons for the war against Ukraine. He responded to criticism of this in the Russian Federation: “if the Russians don’t like the fact that the convicts are going to war, let them send their children” (September 15, 2022)
2. He compared his PMC Wagner, which is also fighting against Ukraine, with Robin Hood, three heroes and 300 Spartans (October 5, 2022)
3. Prigozhin commented on the brutal execution of Yevgeny Nuzhin, a former member of the PMC Wagner, for allegedly voluntarily surrendering to the Ukrainian military with the words “a dog’s death for a dog” (October 13, 2022)
